PDT-TchGN-62 - Tackling the Motivation Crisis

Course Description

Do we have to do this?” “Is this going to be graded?” “When am I ever going to use this in real life?”

Questions like this are infuriating. They seem to indicate a lack of motivation in students, and it’s so disheartening to feel like we’re having to threaten or bribe students to get them to do schoolwork. After all, didn’t we get into teaching because we’re passionate about learning—and don’t we want our students to share that passion?

In this active and interactive (and dare I say provocative?) workshop, we’ll explore the question of motivation in great depth. We’ll look at common school practices (such as traditional grading, incentives, and praise) that are meant to motivate but which actually demotivate. We’ll also explore lots of practical strategies for tapping into students’ intrinsic motivations so that they’ll be more energized and engaged with daily learning. You’ll walk away from this workshop with a more complete understanding of how motivation actually works as well as many strategies for making learning more motivational for your students.